Chapter 6 He’s A Pervert
He said it with such certainty that Terrence could only stare at him.
Then Ivan’s phone began to ring on the desk.
His hand immediately reached for it.
For a fleeting moment, he expected to see Rose’s name on the screen. A faint smile had already begun to form at the thought of her finally calling him.
But the smile vanished the moment he saw the caller ID.
Unknown Number.
He picked up the call and brought the phone to his ear.
“Hello?”
A woman’s voice came through on the other end.
“Mr. Carrington, we just wanted to inform you that your fiancée, Miss Rose Monroe, called us a while ago and canceled her bridal dress shopping appointment. We wanted to let you know that you’re no longer on the schedule, so if you would still like to have an appointment, you’ll need to make a new one. ”
“Fine,” Ivan replied curtly before ending the call.
Terrence, who had heard every word the assistant had said, raised his eyebrows.
“Aren’t you worried that she’s serious about this? She canceled the wedding dress appointment. I thought that was one of the most important things to her. She wouldn’t stop talking about the dress she was going to wear at your wedding.”
Ivan tossed the phone onto the table, his irritation deepening with every passing second.
“Rose is being stubborn,” he said angrily. “She’ll come back after she calms down.”
Even as he said the words, the tension in his voice betrayed the anger building inside him.
Before Terrence could respond, there was a knock on the door.
It opened, and Ivan’s secretary, Ryan, hurried into the room with a worried expression.
“Mr. Carrington, I have some important news to inform you about.”
Ryan looked so tense that Ivan immediately lifted one hand, dismissing the hesitation.
“Just tell me.”
Ryan swallowed before speaking.
“Mr. Carrington, we just received a call from Mr. Monroe’s secretary at Monroe Industries.
They informed us that they have canceled all business dealings with our company.
They also said they will not be entering into any new deals with us in the future, and all the agreements currently in place have been terminated, effective immediately. ”
The expression on Ivan’s face changed so quickly that the shock was unmistakable.
For a moment, he simply stared at Ryan.
Then the reality of what he had just heard sank in.
Panic flashed across his face, followed by a sudden, terrifying realization.
Rose might actually leave him.
Until now, even when Rose threatened to end their relationship, there had always been something tying them together—the business relationship between their families. Their engagement, their families’ expectations, and their companies’ dealings had all kept them connected.
But now that business relationship was gone.
If the Monroes had truly cut ties with the Carringtons, there was nothing left connecting Ivan and Rose.
Nothing.
The thought hit him with such force that he abruptly straightened in his chair. His breathing grew heavier as the panic spreading through him became impossible to hide.
Before he could say anything, the office door flew open again.
Another young executive rushed inside, her face pale with panic.
“Mr. Carrington, your cars—”
Before she could finish, Ivan whipped around and roared, “Get out. Get the fuck out of here!”
His fury rose with every word, his voice echoing through the office as his heart pounded with panic and a sudden sinking feeling he could no longer suppress. He drew in a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but the uneasiness twisting through his body only grew stronger.
The girl flinched at the volume of his voice and the fury etched across his face. Startled, she tried to speak again.
“But, Mr. Carrington, it’s really—”
“Didn’t you hear me?” he snapped. “Get out! And don’t come in here without knocking. Don’t you know the basic rules of respect for your director? Get out of here right now!”
The girl flinched again. Her face paled as she quickly turned around and hurried out of the office.
Ivan immediately turned back to Rayyan.
“What are you talking about? We’ve had years of business cooperation with them. They can’t just cancel everything. Did you hear them wrong? Perhaps they said something about a single project. What the hell is wrong with your head? Explain.”
Ryan remained composed despite Ivan’s fury. He walked over and handed him the tablet he was holding.
“Here is the document I received, Mr. Carrington. You can read it yourself. It clearly states that Monroe Industries no longer wishes to continue any business relationship with us.”
Ivan snatched the tablet from his hand.
His eyes immediately swept over every line, reading the document carefully. Then he read it again, as though somehow the words might change the second time.
They didn’t.
The document clearly stated that Monroe Industries was terminating all existing business relationships with Carrington Corporation. No current projects would continue, and no new deals would be entered into between the two companies in the future.
Ivan handed the tablet back.
“Fine. Get out.”
His voice was dismissive, but the panic pounding through his chest betrayed him. He could already feel the consequences closing in around him, yet he refused to let any of it show.
Ryan nodded and turned toward the door.
Just as he was about to leave, Ivan stopped him.
“Send the girl who just came in.”
Rayyan nodded and walked out.
A moment later, the young executive returned. This time, she entered leisurely after knocking on the door.
Ivan lifted his head.
“Come in.”
She walked inside at an unhurried pace and stopped in front of his desk.
“Mr. Carrington, do you wish for me to speak now?”
Ivan stared at her impatiently.
“That’s what I asked you to do. Why did I ask you to come back?”
The girl folded her hands neatly in front of her. Her expression remained remarkably calm despite the tension in the room.
Then, in an almost casual voice, she finally said, “Mr. Carrington, I was trying to tell you that someone set all of your cars on fire at your house last night.”
Ivan’s face drained of color.
All the composure he had managed to gather over the past few minutes vanished instantly. A deep frown settled across his face as he stared at her, momentarily unable to process what he had just heard.
The girl, completely unabashed, continued in the same soft, leisurely tone.
“And the police were asking whether you wanted to press charges. I informed them that you needed some personal time and that they should call back later.”
Then she gave him a sweet, innocent smile.
“Have a nice day, sir.”
With that, she turned around and walked out, leaving Ivan standing there in stunned silence.
***
Maverick watched as Rose angrily ended the call, stabbing the hang-up button with her thumb before finally lowering the phone. She let out a frustrated huff and pushed her hair back from her face as she turned around.
She immediately stopped.
Maverick stood directly in front of her, his eyes fixed on her with an intense, unreadable expression.
Rose instinctively took a step back, startled as she finally registered how close he was.
“Why didn’t you tell him about our marriage?” he asked.
His stern gaze remained fixed on her face. He stepped closer, slowly invading her space until her back was nearly against the wall.
Rose’s heart pounded against her ribs.
She tried to laugh it off.
“I forgot. I’m not used to being married yet. I’m not used to having a husband.”
Maverick’s eyes darkened.
He reached behind her neck and drew her closer until her body pressed against his chest. His gaze remained locked with hers as he lowered his voice.
“Then I’ll make sure you remember that you’re my wife every damn day.”
Rose stared into his eyes, her heart racing.
There was nothing playful in his expression now. The seriousness in his face thrilled and frightened her at the same time, sending a strange ache through her chest.
The instant after, he closed the distance between them until Rose was pressed flat against the wall. He trapped her there, one arm winding around her waist, the other clamping the back of her head, and sank his teeth into her neck.
“Ah!” Rose winced, her nails digging into his shoulders as his hunger darkened.
He licked the same spot repeatedly before hardening his bite— and then, just as fiercely, he bit the other side.
She gasped in harsh breaths, pain and unwanted pleasure convulsing through her.
Her body trembled; she clung to him, even as crimson marks bloomed on her skin.
When she flinched, his mouth shifted to hers. He kissed her fiercely, his tongue ripping across her lips with a ravenous need that stole her breath. He tugged her lower lip into his mouth, sucking until she trembled, then moved to her upper lip and did the same.
Every drop of wetness he could seize, he consumed, drawing moans of shock and discomfort from her throat. Within seconds, he’d asserted total control.
He was at least a foot taller than Rose. Small and unresisting, she was helpless beneath his weight. His right arm pinned her wrists above her head while his left arm curved around her waist, pressing her backside to the cold wall.
His lips tortured hers—licking, sucking, flooding her mouth with his saliva even as he stole hers. Rose’s breaths grew ragged; her heart pounded so fiercely she thought it might burst. She tried to shove at his chest, desperate for air, but he tightened his grip, his hunger only intensifying.
Finally, gathering what little strength remained, she broke free from his grasp. She stumbled, clutching at her bruised lips, and fled up the narrow spiral stairs to the first floor, her body shaking, her heart vaulting in her chest.
He pursued her like a predator.
Hearing his heavy footsteps, Rose pivoted, hand gripping the railing as panic sharpened in her eyes.